ND (1897–1911) Mexico Banco de Sonora 20 Pesos PMG 65 EPQ Remainder ABNC Hermosillo

ND (1897–1911) Mexico Banco de Sonora 20 Pesos PMG 65 EPQ Remainder ABNC Hermosillo

This beautifully engraved 20 Pesos note comes from El Banco de Sonora, a private issuing bank headquartered in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, and is cataloged as Pick S421r / M509r. Printed by the American Bank Note Company (ABNC) and left unsigned and unissued as a remainder, it represents one of the classic designs of Mexico’s Porfirian-era banknote system.

Authenticity & catalog details

• Issuer: Banco de Sonora, Sociedad Anónima – Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

• Denomination: 20 Pesos

• Date: ND (1897–1911) type

• Catalog numbers: Pick S421r, M509r (remainder type)

• Printer: American Bank Note Company, New York (imprint at lower margin)

• Certification: Encapsulated and authenticated by PMG as a genuine remainder from the Banco de Sonora series.

Historical significance – frontier finance in northern Mexico

Founded in the late 19th century, Banco de Sonora served the rapidly developing mining, ranching, and cross-border trade economy of Mexico’s northwest. Banknotes like this circulated in a region closely tied to the United States by railroads and commerce, yet still very much part of Mexico’s national banking system under President Porfirio Díaz.

Private banks of issue such as Banco de Sonora were chartered under the 1897 banking law and remained important until the revolutionary reforms and the creation of a unified central bank system in the 1920s. Surviving remainders, printed but never signed or released, offer a pristine glimpse of the artistry of that era.

Design & features

Obverse

• Dominating the center is an allegorical female figure reclining beside a stream, one hand trailing in the water, symbolizing abundance and natural wealth, an appropriate theme for resource-rich Sonora.

• Large “20” value counters appear in ornate frames left and right, with Hermosillo and Sonora, Mexico noted in the upper corners to emphasize the regional identity of the bank.

• At right, within a floral rosette, is a finely engraved portrait of a young girl, a classic ABNC vignette that adds warmth and human interest to the composition.

• The bold title “BANCO DE SONORA” arches across the top, while the lower panel in orange reads “VEINTE PESOS” with an intricate guilloche background and repeating scrollwork.

• Red control numbers and series letters complete the layout, even though the note was never finished with signatures.

Reverse

• The back is printed in vibrant orange-red, with a symmetrical, almost flower-like guilloche pattern radiating from the center.

• The bank’s title “BANCO DE SONORA” appears in large block letters in the middle, flanked by ornate “20” counters, forming a striking and highly recognizable design when viewed in stacks.

Overall, the note showcases the high-quality intaglio engraving and elaborate guilloche work for which ABNC was famous, combining local branding with sophisticated security patterns.

Remarkable denomination

The 20 Pesos value was an important workhorse denomination, substantial enough for wages and commercial payments but not as high as the large 50- and 100-peso issues. For collectors of Mexican private-bank currency, the 20-peso type offers a perfect balance of impressive design and historical relevance.

Collector’s value

This Banco de Sonora 20 Pesos remainder brings together several appealing qualities: a popular northern-Mexico issuer, a well-balanced allegorical design with a charming child’s portrait, and the crisp engraving of the American Bank Note Company. Certified by PMG and preserved as an unused remainder, it makes an excellent centerpiece for a Mexican state-bank type set, an ABNC vignette collection, or any world-note album focused on the golden age of engraved paper money.